


Playing Defence

by PAPERSK1N



Series: One shots/Ficlets [20]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Co-workers, Gavin is defence, Lawyers, M/M, Mavin, Michael is prosecution, Naturally Michael hates Gavin but they're also sort of best friends, Office Romance, Side Raywood, lawyer!au, literally like 2 mentions, mentions of sex but nothing explicit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-19
Updated: 2016-04-19
Packaged: 2018-06-03 07:01:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6601354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PAPERSK1N/pseuds/PAPERSK1N
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Michael is a Lawyer for the prosecution sector at Rooster Teeth, one of the top Law firms in the whole of the United States.</p><p>Gavin Free is a defense lawyer. Naturally, every moral and logical part of Michael's brain hates every single part of the smug British fuck.</p><p>However, they're also sort of best friends. And Michael maybe sort-of likes Gavin, a little.</p><p>(Bonus Boss!Ryan/Assistant!Ray on the side)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Playing Defence

**Author's Note:**

> This was a procrastination project that I started over a year and a half ago. Clearly, i procrastinated procrastination. So here is is- barely four thousand words of mediocre story over eighteen months later. Don't say I never gave you anything.

Michael sipped from his cardboard cup, wincing only slightly as the hot coffee inside burnt his tongue. He had one hand on the cup as he raised it to his lips, swallowed, and placed it back down. The other hand was on his keyboard, typing quickly as he tried to get the paperwork he was sorting through finished and documented.

He wasn’t completely immersed in his work, however, so he didn't miss the flash of light brown hair flit past out of the corner of his eye. Michael sighed in annoyance, drinking from the cup once more before dragging his eyes away from the monitor, and onto the doorway of his cubicle.

“Gavin. What do you want?”

Almost like a guilty child, Gavin appeared, creeping out of from where he had been hiding behind the cubicle wall. He had the lopsided, uncaring grin of a child too, coupled with wide and deceptively innocent eyes.

“Lunch?” he offered casually. Michael’s eyes turned back to the computer.

“No.” he replied, simply.

“Come on, Jersey Mikes? My treat?” Gavin pestered, stepping into Michael’s cubicle. He was hovering around the desk, rocking on the heels of his feet and swinging his arms by his side. Michael wasn’t even directly looking at him, yet Gavin had already managed to piss him off with his restlessness and his inability to commit to a posture.

“No, Gavin.” He repeated, a little more forcefully this time. Gavin rolled his eyes and groaned.

“What’s your deal, Michael?” he asked. “I ask you to go out to lunch almost every day, and you almost always say no.” he whined. Michael looked at Gavin.

“I’ve told you, Gavin, it’s because you’re a piece of shit.” He said, tone flat. There was no playful joke in what he was saying. As far as Michael was concerned, it was the truth.

“Come on.” Gavin’s tone was teasing, and his infuriatingly cheeky grin faded quickly into a lazy, self-assured smirk. “You don’t _really_ mean that.”

“Oh, I _genuinely_ do.” Michael replied, abandoning his work and leaning back in his chair, watching as Gavin’s face fell. “You are a piece of shit.” He reiterated.

“I’m not!” Gavin laughed.

“Yes. You are.”

“Michael.” Gavin said, that same simpering tone coming onto his voice that he knew could easily win Michael over at the best of times. “Boi, even though you're always mean to me, you know we’re really friends. And why not be best mates? We’d be too good together! We-”

“-No.”

“Why?” Gavin asked, pouting and folding his arms. Michael had to remind himself that Gavin was _not_ , in any way shape or form, adorable.

“Because, you’re a piece of shit!”

“But _how_?”

Michael sighed, rolling his eyes. Gavin wouldn’t leave him alone- he knew that. Gavin rarely ever did as he was told.

“You’re the type of asshole who gives lawyers like me a bad name. You’re a fucking scumbag who’ll happily support murderers, rapists and abusers in order to get your fucking pay-check. You’re a no good, spineless, defence lawyer!”

Gavin huffed, and rolled his eyes. “Really, this again?” he asked, cheerful tone deflating and expression shifting into annoyance.

“It’s fucking true!” Michael laughed, sitting up and resting his arms on his desk. “You know the guy, in all the kid movies- who wears the suit and carries the briefcase and wants to fucking… tear down the kid’s baseball pitch to build a mall? That’s you!”

“Where on earth did you get _your_ law degree from?” he scoffed. Michael ignored him. “I mean, what do you expect exactly? It’s my bloody _job_ , Michael. People ask me to provide proof, I find it.” Gavin folded his arms defensively over his chest, a brief flash of annoyance in his eyes. ”You just can't stand the fact that I‘m good at it, and you _know_ when it comes down to it, I _always_ beat you.” He gloated.

Michael spat out a laugh. “Ha! Believe me, Gavin, with the right case I could beat you any day of the fucking week. The only reason that we,” he motioned between himself and Gavin “-don’t get along, is because I think you’re a piece of shit. Your moral compass is just spinning in the complete opposite direction to _my_ moral compass.”

“And what makes your morals so much better than mine?” Gavin asked, simply. Michael paused. If he was honest, this had gone past the usual petty spats he and Gavin usually had. Every day at one o’clock, Gavin would invite him out to lunch, Michael would call him a piece of shit.

Half the time, they’d still go out to lunch together.

“Whatever.” Michael said quietly, leaning back into his chair and turning to his computer. “I’ve got the McCrier case to type up. Goodbye Gavin.”

And although Michael wasn’t looking, he could still see the stupid, prideful grin blossom on the British idiot’s stupid face. He’d gotten Michael, the same way he always did in the courtroom, and he fucking _knew_ it. It was the face that Michael hated, and certainly didn't find attractive. In any way. Whatsoever.

“Later, boi!” Gavin called with a smile. “Xbox live tonight?”

Michael looked back up at Gavin briefly, before a small smile broke through.

“Sure thing, Gav.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

Xbox live nights often (and by often, Michael meant pretty much always) morphed quickly into Gavin-showing-up-at-his-door-with-popcorn-and-Michael-logging-into-his-Netflix-account-nights, where the two would lounge on Michael’s fourth-hand couch and watch crappy movies together for a few hours. They never paid much attention to the plot, because Gavin had the attention span of a fifth grader, and much preferred muting the film and making up his own dialogue.

And Michael had to give it to the asshole, he could be funny. Those nights usually ended with the two passed out on Michael’s couch, and then Michael would be woken up in the morning to the smell of pancakes or bacon. Although, Gavin was a selfish asshole, and most of the time only ever made enough for himself.

Their relationship confused Michael to no end. He _hated_ Gavin, and some of his most heated debates either in the office or in the courtroom itself was against him. He’d been formally warned by a judge on two separate occasions for losing his rag during a case against Gavin, because _God_ the asshole was good at what he did.

“I fucking hate him.” Michael said, slouching down on the square, leather couch in the office of one of the Law Firms directors, Ryan Haywood. His best friend, Ray, was Haywood’s assistant, and hung out in his office when Ryan was at meetings. Usually, Michael would join him, the two would eat Chinese food or subway or pizza or whatever Ryan bought Ray for lunch that day, and bitch about Gavin.

“Dude I think you're confusing the phrases ‘hate’ and ‘want to bone’.” Ray scoffed.

“Shut up-”

“-It’s fucking true!” Ray laughed loudly, from his place sitting cross legged in Ryan’s luxury, orthopaedic office chair. He was eating noodles out of the carton as he lounged around, bending the chairs spine backwards and spinning side to side, feet propped up on the desk. “You totally want to fuck him. Stop lying to yourself.”

“Stop lying to _my_ self?” Michael fumed, glaring at Ray across the expanse of the desk. “Coming from the guy currently fucking _chilling_ in his boss’ office, eating Chinese food _he_ provided whilst sitting in his eight-hundred-dollar _orthopaedic_ fucking chair? The same guy who insists nothing is going on between him and his boss?”

Ray’s cheeks flushed pink. “You know Ryan and I aren’t like that.”

“Yeah, good one.” Michael scoffed. “You’re not kidding anyone. HR can't really say anything though, because Ryan could easily fire any of them, so lucky you.”

“Whatever.” Ray set the empty carton down on Ryan’s desk and sat up, crossing his arms. “You’ve got the hots for Gavin. That’s it.”

“Let’s just agree to disagree.” Michael huffed, standing up and looking down at his watch. “I’ve got to go anyway, and Haywood will probably be out of his meeting soon. Have fun with your not-boyfriend.”

Michael smirked to himself as he left the room at the way Ray’s cheeks flushed.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

“Michael thinks you have a crush on me.” Ray said, later that evening.

Ryan rolled over from his position next to Ray, so he was more covering him, burying his face in the crook of Ray’s neck. “Well he isn’t wrong.” He said with a dark chuckle, pressing a small kiss into Ray’s clavicle.

Ray didn't take his eyes off the ceiling. “He says we’re not fooling anyone. But that HR won't do anything because you can fire them.”

“He’s right about that too.” Ryan hummed in response, continuing his trial from Ray’s neck up to his cheek until Ray squirmed and smiled beside him.

“Ryan, c’mon I’m trying to be serious here.” He glared.

Ryan’s voice was muffled as his lips brushed across Ray’s skin again and again. “Ew, why?” he asked, eventually. Ray rolled his eyes.

“Because,” He turned over so he was facing Ryan, hoping he could actually get his boss to focus on their conversation rather than having sex, for once. “I don’t want you to get into any trouble.” He said quietly.

“Ray. You’re an amazing assistant, and I’m one of the key directors of the law firm. Not only that, but I’m really good friends with Burnie, Geoff, Gus, Matt and Joel. None of them are ever going to fire me, and I'll make sure nobody else fires you, okay? So stop worrying.”

“Okay.” Ray finally relented, allowing his smile to grow into a grin. “You’re pretty great, you know.”

“I know.” Ryan replied, and they kissed once on the lips before settling on simply lying together, Ray’s head laid on Ryan’s chest contentedly. “Why were you and Michael talking something as boring as me anyway?” Ryan asked, running his hands through Ray’s dark hair.

Ray’s voice vibrated against his chest. “Michael’s still in denial over how much he likes Gavin.”

“Oh god.” Ryan rolled his eyes. “My $400 bet on those two getting together expires this month. Think you could speed things up for me?”

A smirk fell upon Ray’s lips, and he leant up slightly. “It’s in the bag.” He promised. Ryan held his chin gently between his thumb and forefinger.

“That’s my boy.” He teased.

Ray rolled his eyes. “Just call me fucking cupid.” He deadpanned, crawling up Ryan’s body so he was settled on top of him, kissing him by the ear gently. Ryan’s hands settled at Ray’s waist and began to rub at his hipbones in small circles, but Ray had something very different in mind.

With another kiss to the lobe, Ray leant in and mumbled, “But, I want 75%” directly into Ryan’s ear.

“Not a dime over forty!” Ryan snapped, sitting up abruptly so Ray was in his lap. They glared at each other silently, locked in a western-style stand off for a few short seconds until Ray rolled his eyes and sighed.

“Throw in a new chair for my desk? A fancy one like yours?” He asked.

Ryan bit his lip, until Ray leant in and kissed him gently in hope of persuasion. “You'd make an excellent lawyer, you know that?" Ryan huffed. Ray grinned at him, and reached up to brush his fingers through Ryan's hair.

"Well, I fucking learned from the best right?" He leant forwards to press another kiss to Ryan's lip before pulling away and gazing lovingly into his eyes.

"So," he asked again. "my chair?"

Ryan groaned, but the smirk on his face was more than clear. "You drive a hard bargain, sweetheart.” he said, smirk spreading into a grin as his grip on Ray's hips grew tighter. Then, he flipped them over so Ray was laid back on the bed and Ryan was rested atop his small frame. “But..." He added with another firm kiss to the scruff at Ray's jaw. "...you're on.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

The next day, Ryan was caught up in a lot of meetings, so Ray’s workload was a little lighter than usual, meaning that he had way more time than he would’ve to put his plan into motion.

He decided that Michael would be way harder to convince due to his initial aversion to Gavin, so a safer bet for his first step would be the lanky British defence lawyer. He wandered through the RT tower where they all worked, making his way to the section Gavin’s desk was.

When he made it to his cubicle, Ray watched from the entrance as Gavin fanned sticky bits of paper that he’d spilt soda on.

“You alright there?”

“Jesus, Ray!” Gavin flinched, almost dropping the same can he’d spilt ten minutes previously. “You scared the bloody life out of me! What are you doing lurking round the corner anyway, you lunatic!”

Ray laughed. “I came to see if you wanted to go for a long lunch. I’ve not got shit to do because Ryan’s in meetings and I know you don’t have a case.”

“Oh. Alright then...” Gavin looked around his desk, fumbling to grab his wallet and his ID card. “Is Michael coming?”

Ray allowed himself to grin whilst Gavin’s attention was fixed to his desk, half-heartedly arranging soggy paperwork in a way that Ray assumed he thought made him look nonchalant.

“No, he’s busy.” Ray lied, hands tucked in his pockets. “Just X-Ray and Vav today.”

“Oh, alright.” Gavin said, “Well, where should we eat? Five guys? Shake Shack?”

Ray smirked, making his way to the entrance of Gavin’s cubicle. “I don’t know about you, but I’m _really_ craving some _Jersey Mike’s”_

He pretended not to notice Gavin’s blush, and turned on his heel, heading out of the cubicle.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“-so, I think I’d just get a job somewhere random where that doesn’t apply. I’d work like… here, and ask people how their day is, and when they ask me, I’d just be like ‘Jersey Mikes’.” Gavin laughed loudly to himself in the restaurant as he unwrapped his sandwich, whereas Ray’s laughter was much more forced. Usually, Gavin’s stupid jokes and hypothetical situations would have him laughing his ass off, but that particular lunch he was much more focused on his mission. He wanted that orthopaedic chair for his desk.

He’d set out his original plan before asking Gavin to lunch. The optimum time to get Michael and Gavin in the same room where they couldn’t ignore each other or pretend like they didn’t hang out every weekend would be the staff Halloween party. Ray hated parties, but Ryan had persuaded him into agreeing to attend. However, he didn’t mind too much, because at least he could use the party as an opportunity to win two hundred and forty dollars. Michael liked parties, and he liked people so he would definitely be there. Gavin _loved_ parties, but had a reputation for never showing up to staff parties, unless it was twenty minutes until the end of the night and he was already hammered.

“Are you going to the Halloween party?” Ray asked, as Gavin crunched lettuce. He shrugged his shoulders as he did, making a vague _mhmmm_ sounds. Ray rose an eyebrow questioningly, and Gavin swallowed.

“’Said, I dunno.”

“You should come.” Ray said. “costumes are fun.”

“I thought you _hated_ Halloween?”

Ray froze for a second, awkwardly staring at Gavin as he tried to form a reply. “I, uh, I guess I thought I’d try it out this year. Haven’t really done Halloween since I was a kid so… maybe it’ll be better now I’m older.” He said with a shrug. Gavin smirked at him.

“Yeah right.” He scoffed. “You’re only going because Ryan’s going to be there, and you want me there to set you two up!”

Ray let out a heavy breath of relief at Gavin’s incorrect assumptions, and nodded. “Yep. That’s it.” He nodded. “I really want to get with Ryan… and you’re my number one wingman!”

“Ray, I’m honoured! I’m a great wingman!”

“I know you are.” Ray lied, fake grin plastered over his face. “So you’ll come then?”

“Yeah, I don’t see why not. Not like I was originally doing anything anyway.” He shrugged, crumpling up his now empty sandwich wrapper. “Besides, it might be fun.”

Ray nodded his head. “Awesome.” He said with a smile. The two fell into silence as Ray finished his sandwich, Gavin leaning his chin on his hands and staring off into the distance. The Brit appeared to be deep in thought for a few minutes, until eventually, he looked back to Ray.

“Do you think Michael will go?”

Ray smiled. “Yeah, of course. Michael loves staff parties.”

“He does?” Gavin asked. Ray frowned.

“I would’ve figured you’d know that, considering you’re his best fucking buddy and everything.” He teased. Gavin glared, tossing a wet bit of lettuce left on his wrapper in Ray’s direction. “What?” Ray laughed, flicking the lettuce off of the table. “It’s true. Don’t pretend like you don’t stay over in his apartment at least twice a week.”

Gavin blushed. “How did you know about that?”

“I know Michael pretty well, so once I saw fucking tea bags in his cupboards, I knew something was up.” He laughed. Gavin groaned. “Don’t be sad dude, I won’t rat you out to HR. But be real with me, are you fucking?”

“What? No! Me and… _Michael_? I- we’ve never… I, uh… I don’t like him in that way.” Gavin spluttered, blush rising on his cheeks. “We’re… just, uh… I don’t know.”

“Friends?” Ray offered. Gavin stared at the table.

“I don’t know.” He mumbled. “Michael doesn’t really want to be my friend. He thinks I’m a piece of shit.”

Ray laughed. “Gav, I’m gonna let you in on a little secret.” He said. “Just between you and me, if Michael calls you a piece of shit, it usually means that he likes you… a _lot_.”

“Really?” Gavin asked, eyes lighting up. Ray grinned, standing from the table.

“Yep.” He nodded. “So I’d say… even if you supposedly ‘don’t like him in that way’” he mimicked air quotes with his fingers. “I wouldn’t rule yourself out.”

Gavin just smiled, standing and following Ray out of the restaurant, and Ray couldn’t help but grin. This was easier than he thought it was going to be.

 

 

_To: Ryan_

_If you’re looking to raise the stakes on your Michael/Gavin bet, now would definitely be the time to do it xx_

 

_-_

 

**_From: Ryan_ **

**_How are you feeling about a grand?_ **

 

_-_

 

_To: Ryan_

_You’ve got a gambling problem._

 

_-_

 

**_From: Ryan_ **

**_$500 it is then x_ **

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Getting Michael to agree to attending the staff party was never going to be the hard part. Ray hadn’t lied when he said that Michael loved staff parties, loved being social in general, and loved Halloween.

Why they were such good friends, he’d never understand.

The difficult part was going to be hanging out with Gavin _and_ Michael at the same time in the same place. No matter how obviously false Michael’s hatred for Gavin was, there was no chance he was going to openly hang out with him, in public, in front of other members of the company.

 _Unless_ he was drunk.

So Ray invited Michael over to his apartment, which was across the road from the office earlier in the night with enough booze purchased by Ryan to get Geoff Ramsey wobbly. Michael raised an eyebrow when he walked into the room, obviously knowing that Ray didn’t drink- but who was he to turn down free booze? Michael didn’t bother asking questions and instead lifted up a bottle and beginning to partake in one of his favourite pastimes: drinking enough to forget his feelings.

It didn’t take long for his words to start slurring and within an hour or so, Michael was stumbling to the door, giggling as he knocked his head into the side of the wall.

“Woah, easy buddy.” Ray said, clutching Michael’s arm and guiding him into the hall.

“’M fine, Ray!” Michael slurred, whirling his cape around. “’m not even drunk! I’m _Thor-_ dumbass, I can _take it_ ”

“Of course you can, Thor.” Ray bit his lip, the tiniest tinge of guilt bubbling in his stomach for forcing his friend into such a state. However, Michael seemed like he was having a good time, giggling and swaying as he stood leant against Ray, before he turned his head and planted a wet kiss on his best friend's cheek.

"You're the man Ray!" He laughed, loudly. "No homo!"

Ray rolled his eyes. “C’mon, let’s get in the elevator, because I really don’t think you can handle the stairs.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

By the time they got to the party, Ryan was waiting at the door in a half-assed Lumberjack costume, which Ray knew was really just his old jeans and a dusty checked shirt he occasionally wore when he was tinkering with appliances. Still, it was hot as hell, especially with the beanie that Ray _knew_ he had left over at Ryan’s place a few weeks previous.

“Thor and… random spectator who saw him save the world?” Ryan asked with a teasing smirk. Ray glared at him.

“You know I don’t do Halloween. If anyone asks, I’m dressed as my GTA character.”

“Fine. Let’s get him inside.” Ryan took Michael’s other arm and helped him stumble inside, dodging the plastic hammer that Michael was swinging about. It didn’t take long before Michael locked eyes with a familiar face by the punchbowl.

“Gavin! My Boi!”

Ray and Ryan exchanged a glance, and Ray smirked. “Told you so.” He said. Ryan high-fived him, but subtly, before leaving Ray’s side and wandering further into the party. Sure, people sort of did suspect they were together, but they’d both agreed to stick to their original plan of hiding it, rather than flaunting it to the whole of HR, who knew damn well they couldn’t do anything about it.

“Hi Michael.” Gavin grinned, even more half-assed costume than Ryan’s: a scientist, his usual clothes covered by a white lab coat. Michael leant against Gavin for support, apparently having more than a little trouble standing.

“Blimey! How much has he had?”

Ray smirked. “Enough to be seen as your friend in public. You’re welcome.”

“Ray!” Gavin frowned. “You better not be using alcohol to set me and Michael up!”

“I’d never!” Ray held his hands up. “But… a little birdie tells me that the punch was spiked… so be careful before you drink anymore.”

Gavin frowned at the cup in his hand, as Ray was called over by someone else across the room. The punch was spiked? That would explain why he was feeling a little wobbly.

 _I bet it was Geoff._ He thought, as Michael writhed around beside him, sniffing around Gavin’s cup like a puppy.

“Aw c’mon boi, share the love?” he asked. Gavin laughed.

“No way, you’ve _absolutely_ had enough. I’m taking you home.”

“ _What_!? But I just got here!” Michael exclaimed, clumsily throwing his arms in the air. Gavin tugged them back down, and linked their arms together tightly so Michael couldn’t wriggle away. “Yes,” he agreed, steering Michael towards the exit “And now we’re just leaving. I’m not much a fan of staff parties, to be honest.”

“You can’t even drive, asshole.” Michael pointed out. Gavin shrugged.

“My place is only ‘round the corner, you dunce. I’ll take you back there.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

Sunlight.

That was the first thing Michael was aware of as the alarm somewhere around him blared. Glaring sunlight was shining directly into his closed eyelids. He must’ve left the curtains open.

“For fuck sake.” He mumbled, rubbing at his eyes before finally prying them open. Michael stepped out of the bed, rubbing at his hair as if friction alone could stave off the pounding in his head. Michael approached the window and groaned again as the bright sunlight intensified, before reaching to close the curtains.

Only, the curtains weren’t there.

“What the fuck?” Michael mumbled, staring at the window. Something was suddenly very wrong- he’d always had curtains in his bedroom. Thick and black and impenetrable to pesky nine AM sunlight. But no- staring him in the face were neat wooden slats and a hanging pulley. Michael pulled at the shutters and muttered a few curse words under his breath, finally opening his eyes properly and staring around the room.

This was not Michael’s bedroom.

As the vague sense of panic and confusion set in, Michael allowed his tired eyes to drift back over to the bed. This certainly wasn’t his decade old wooden hand-me-down with dark grey sheets and ratty old pillows. This bed was metal framed and shining new, with light blue bedcoverings and plum white pillows accented with a blue-and-white-striped throw that was lazily handing around the end bedpost.

Also, there was somebody else in it.

The body moved and stretched as Michael continued to mutter, until a hairy, spindly arm shot out from under the heap of blanket and smacked the alarm until it turned off.

“Bloody thing. I knew I forgot to turn it off.”

Michael swallowed thickly. There was only one person he knew in the whole world who used the words _bloody_ as a colloquialism.

“Gavin?”

Gavin sat up, his hair puffy and askew and his face tinged pink at the sound of Michael’s voice. He didn’t have a shirt on, and Michael couldn’t help but stare at his chest and collarbones, littered with little pink marks.

“Erm. Morning love.”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“ _How_!” Michael repeated for what felt like the thousandth time, pacing up and down Gavin’s tiny kitchenette as his co-worker casually sat up on the counter, swinging his legs and sipping his tea. “How could this ever have happened?”

“I told you.” Gavin rolled his eyes. “You arrived bloody _plastered_ and Geoff spiked the punch at the party. When I thought I was being all good and sober and taking you home, I was actually pretty… _not sober_ myself. We got back here, drank some more and… well- you can imagine how things went from there, I suppose.”

Michael’s face was flaming red by the time Gavin was finished, but the brit didn’t even have the slightest blush. “It’s nothing to be embarrassed about Michael.” He shrugged, patting Michael on the head fondly. “We’re both consenting adults. Things happen.” He shrugged again, and hopped off the counter, pouring the rest of his tea down the sink.

“Did we have sex?”

Gavin dropped the mug in the sink.

“ _What?_ ”

When he turned, Michael’s face was still cherry. “You know what I mean!” he insisted. “Obviously… things happened- whatever. But… did we like- _have sex?_ Like… for real?”

“Oh.” Gavin paused for a second, rolling his shoulders and pondering the question. He hadn’t taken much thought the extent of his activities with Michael, but the answer was fairly obvious. “No.” he said. “I don’t think we did.”

“Okay good.” Michael sighed in relief. Gavin frowned.

“What do you mean- _okay, good_?” he mimicked, folding his arms across his chest. “What’s so wrong about having sex with _me_?”

Michael bit his lip and looked from Gavin’s irritated expression to the floor. “Nothing.” He mumbled. “Just… I wouldn’t want to have sex with you and then not be able to remember it. If we ever… I’d want it to mean something- that’s all.”

“Oh.” Gavin said again, and the room fell quiet.

“Yeah.” Michael said. Gavin bit his lip.

“Well-” he started, but the words were clogged in his throat. “Maybe you- or maybe- maybe I… uh,” he laughed nervously, as Michael watched him with a wide eyed stare. “Maybe it did- you know… _mean_ _something_.”

“Yeah.” Michael nodded. He refused to meet eyes, but Gavin could see the slightest of smiles tugging at his lip. “Maybe it did.”

“Still- Ray, what an asshole.” Gavin was quick to change the subject after that, but it was more for Michael’s benefit than his. He smiled, as Michael melted into comfort, leant against the counter as he bitched and ranted about Ray and Ryan and everyone else at the company. Gavin wondered if maybe, he could get used to Michael’s fiery presence around his apartment more often.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Michael was back at work over a week later, sitting back at his desk with stacks of unfinished paperwork beside him, a cold coffee at the corner of the desk and his computer flashing in front of his eyes.

Then, peeking around the edge of the door he saw a flash of brown hair followed by green eyes and a smirk.

Michael rolled his eyes.

“Gavin. What the fuck do you want?” he asked. Gavin peeked completely around the door and stepped into the cubicle completely. “Just wondering if you wanted to go to lunch, boi? Jersey Mikes?”

Michael looked up from his paperwork and slowly, set the pen he was using down on the wooden desk.

He smiled. “Sure. But how are you feeling about Torchy’s?”

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Ray watched as Michael, with his back pack slung over his shoulder and his hand wrapped tightly in Gavin’s, stroll out of the building talking animatedly with a wide smile on his face. Before he could even react, he heard what sounded like paper fanning behind him.

Ray whirled around to face Ryan, grinning and waving a stack of green bills in his face. 

“You won?!” Ray asked excitedly. Ryan nodded excitedly, rushing towards Ray suddenly and pulling him into a tight hug. Ryan was so overzealous in his celebration, that he actually lifted Ray clean off the ground with a hearty laugh.

“Hey.” Ray heard Geoff say from behind him. He had his arms folded over his chest and was looking at Burnie with an eyebrow quirked. “You know, I’ve got the strangest feeling that Ryan might’ve had some kind of insider knowledge.”

Ray looked at Ryan, and in turn Ryan looked at Ray with a matching flush to his cheeks as the two stepped away from each other. Saying nothing but unable to hide his smile on his face, Ryan briefly rifled through the bills and handed Ray his cut. Not many of the other employees were watching, but Geoff and Burnie were still looking over with matching smug expressions. Slowly, as Ray’s blush darkened, Burnie sighed and reached into his back pocket- pulling out a stack of his own bills and handing them over, into Geoff’s waiting palm.

“Nice doing business with you.” Geoff smirked.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

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